Former Australian Football League (AFL) player Nicky Winmar appeared in Bendigo Magistrates Court on Thursday as prosecutors urged the court to impose a custodial sentence for an assault committed last year. Winmar, 60, was found guilty in July of three assault charges related to an incident at a northern Victoria motel in May 2022. He was acquitted of a more serious charge of intentionally causing injury.

During the recent hearing, the victim provided a detailed impact statement, describing ongoing trauma and emotional distress resulting from the assault. She told the court she frequently wakes at night "uncontrollably" crying and experiences regular panic attacks. The woman said the episode continuously replays in her mind, accompanied by nightmares and flashbacks of being overpowered. She expressed how the experience has fundamentally changed her, stating, “I’m not the same person I once was due to the trauma I have experienced.”

Prosecutors, led by Annina Tropea, characterized Winmar’s actions as prolonged, violent, and persistent, emphasizing the profound and lasting effect on the victim. Ms. Tropea urged the court to consider imprisonment, citing the severity of the offence and its impact.

Winmar’s legal representative, Dermot Dann, stressed that his client disputes the charges but acknowledged their seriousness. He described Winmar as a man with both achievements and difficulties, referring to this case as one of his lowest points. Mr. Dann highlighted Winmar’s declining health, attributing symptoms such as confusion and poor memory to possible chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a brain condition linked to repeated head injuries during his AFL career. Alcohol abuse was also described as a significant issue, with Mr. Dann characterizing Winmar at the time of the offence as “a broken man.”

The lawyer noted that Winmar has since engaged in a bail support program and remained sober for a year, requesting the court to allow his client to continue rehabilitation outside of prison.

Magistrate Trieu Huynh reserved judgement and is scheduled to deliver sentence on August 28. He indicated the need for further assessment to determine whether Winmar would be best suited to a community corrections order alone or in combination with incarceration. The magistrate acknowledged the complexity of the case and the factors to be considered before finalising his decision.

Winmar’s AFL career spanned 13 seasons, during which he played 251 games for St Kilda and the Western Bulldogs, establishing himself as a significant figure in the sport.